SUNCOAST: TEEN ARRESTED FOR ARMED ROBBERY OF TAXI DRIVER
Francesco Abbruzzino, The Uncensored Report, LLC
BPD
May 22, 2025, at 1:48 p.m., a “Taxi Caribe” driver called 911 to report being robbed at gunpoint in the 500 block of Martin Luther King Ave W.
The victim said he received a WhatsApp notification for a ride from “Bob” with a pickup location in Palmetto. “Bob” asked to be dropped off in the 500 block of Martin Luther King Ave W. The taxi driver told detectives he gave “Bob” rides to and from those locations several times in the past three months.
The victim said “Bob” paid for the ride in cash and asked for change. When the taxi driver opened a compartment where he kept cash, “Bob” pointed a gun at him, demanded the money, and ran from the car.
Detectives researched the Palmetto address and found a previous case involving Tremaine Brooks, 16. Brooks matched the taxi driver’s description of “Bob.” The victim was presented with a photo lineup and identified Brooks as “Bob.”
Brooks was arrested Thursday evening. He is charged with:
– Armed robbery with a firearm
– Juvenile in possession of a firearm – subsequent offense
– Violation of probation
– Violation of a Risk Protection Order